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I worked at a grocery store in northern NH and the local people were frequently to fat to even walk to steps to put grocery carts away. They would park in the fire lane and send there six year olds in for controlled medication.
Not too fat [or skinny] to ramble down the middle of the aisles, filling their carts with ding dongs and donuts, to cover the ice cream....
or beer....
and 'they' can ride the cart back to their vehicle, but heaven forbid 'they' walk the cart back to the cart stable.
It's not just a Mass. resident problem, nor is it a 'fat' person problem! it's an I don't care society problem.
I think I hit everyone in this thread with a rep point......the cart thing makes me nuts too.
But on a good note, it keeps a NH resident employed as the cart wrangler.
but just as another point of view.. I've complained about this to my mother - she's an offender. Now, she's 82 and her legs hurt her a lot (but the drs can't seem to come up with any good reason or anything to do about it). When she shops, she uses an electric cart if one is available, otherwise she just leans on a regular cart. she lives by herself, so any grocery shopping she does - she does by herself. She always leaves the carts there by the parking space! she tries not to leave it in the way, but she won't put it anywhere else. partly because she can't walk well without it, and her rationalization is that she's doing a kind thing to leave it for the next person to use, esp if they need help walking.
I'm not saying I agree with her, I don't. but I'm 1000 miles away and can't help her with her shopping or carts. I just wanted to toss out another PoV. won't work for all cases, but for some... that's why.
I can't imagine anyone blaming an elderly woman for something like this. I've also seen women with small children not wanting to leave a child in a car to go return the cart.
There were a few times when I left the cart by the car. When I was VERY pregnant and it was very hot - 2 of my kids were born in the middle of the summer Or if I had all 3 kids with me and it was raining or too cold and it was too much to be dragging them to return the cart. So, I am not perfect either, far from it
But there is something about that Market Basket in Salem that just really is way beyond anything reasonable. I don't know....just really bothers me....
I think it's an urban thing. When I first moved here, I noticed that there was a higher prevalence of returning carts to the corral or the store than in my previous state. In fact, where I came from the stores were happy if the carts were left loose in the parking lots as it was not uncommon for people living close by to just walk their groceries all the home along with the cart!
Several other things I noticed:
A higher amount of chivalry. I've had more doors opened for me in the past 6 months than in the past 6 years. Not that I can't open my own door but I do think it is a nice gesture.
Less graffiti and bullet holes in stop signs. Where I came from the city boys would "tag" random objects in town an the good ole boys in the rural areas would drive around and use stop signs as target practice.
I could go on and on, but I'll stop there.
I'm currently from MA and relocating to NH and I can say that MA is a rare breed of entitled. Not saying this includes everyone, but it does infact cover an overall mood. In generalization I have found the majority consensus to be "if it benefits me." However I have found this illness plaguing all over and not just MA, but is a motivating factor of me leaving the state!!
I make sure to put away carts at stores, hold doors for others, say hello to passers, and help if I could be of service- that's just the way i was raised. I have two toddlers and am the first person to offer a hand and sometimes it just urks me... I will be carrying my 1yo and hand in hand with my 3yo and opening a door with my foot and more often than not, someone will open the door next to me and walk through without offering a moment. Now I know they are my kids and I don't need the help, but it would be courteous!!
I found that in NH, the attitude seems different. People don't watch over their shoulder thinking the person is going to steal their wallet- so it seems they offer more friendly encounters! I have now been in NH house hunting, exploring, and just getting used to the surroundings and noticed this everytime, without fail... in the small towns we liked the sense of community was overwhelmingly inviting. I LOVED IT. In the grocery store (my children are very well behaved I'm a drill sargeant and not sorry about it HAHA), but I talk with my kids about what we see, what food is etc... and in MA our experience is usually pretty cold, when we stopped to grab food in NH at a grocery store, the lady bent over backwards to find something for me- as I was so out of sorts not knowing how to locate an item... she went into the back and got it for me without a sigh or any hint that I inconvenienced her... LOVED that. I appreciate working in a community and building friendships... NH definitely has a more open approach to this (minus the old men townies who hate MA residents, period.) haha. :P
One of the small reasons I like to shop at the Aldi grocery stores. I don't think there are any in NH but there are plenty down here and in Bennington, VT and going in in Rutland and Brattleboro Vt. Besides being small and having good prices, you have to put a quarter into their shopping carts to unlock and use them. When you return the cart and hook it to the other carts in the storage area, you get your quarter back. Not many if any carts left in the parking lot as a result.
One of the small reasons I like to shop at the Aldi grocery stores. I don't think there are any in NH but there are plenty down here and in Bennington, VT and going in in Rutland and Brattleboro Vt. Besides being small and having good prices, you have to put a quarter into their shopping carts to unlock and use them. When you return the cart and hook it to the other carts in the storage area, you get your quarter back. Not many if any carts left in the parking lot as a result.
We've got Aldi here in England too. Had no idea they were in VT. I doubt you get your quarter back here, though. The English just like to take your money....
There's an Aldi in Salem (Rt. 28, very close to the MA border)
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Not saying this includes everyone, but it does infact cover an overall mood. In generalization I have found the majority consensus to be "if it benefits me." However I have found this illness plaguing all over and not just MA, but is a motivating factor of me leaving the state!!
